OpenStack vs Terraform: What are the differences?

Key Differences between OpenStack and Terraform

Introduction

OpenStack and Terraform are two widely used tools in the field of cloud computing and infrastructure management. While OpenStack is an open-source cloud computing platform, Terraform is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure. Here are the key differences between OpenStack and Terraform:

1. Architecture and Purpose: OpenStack is a complete cloud infrastructure platform that provides a wide range of services like compute, networking, and storage. It is designed to create and manage private and public clouds. On the other hand, Terraform is an infrastructure provisioning tool focused on managing and automating cloud infrastructure using a declarative configuration language.

2. Language and Syntax: OpenStack primarily uses Python and XML for configuration and management. It utilizes a set of command-line tools (CLIs) and APIs to interact with its components. In contrast, Terraform uses its own declarative configuration language called HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). HCL allows users to define infrastructure resources and their relationships in a human-readable and consistent syntax across all supported cloud providers.

3. Supported Cloud Providers: OpenStack is designed to be cloud provider agnostic and can work with a variety of hypervisors and storage backends. It supports multiple cloud providers like VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V. On the other hand, Terraform is compatible with a wide range of cloud providers, including major public cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It provides a consistent provisioning experience across different providers.

4. Scope and Extensibility: OpenStack encompasses a broad range of cloud services, including compute resources, networking, storage, and more. It allows users to build and manage an entire cloud infrastructure stack from scratch. Terraform, on the other hand, focuses on infrastructure provisioning and orchestration. It is not a full-stack cloud computing platform and does not provide services like identity management or dashboard interfaces. Instead, it focuses on integrating with existing cloud platforms to provision and manage resources.

5. Community and Ecosystem: OpenStack has a large and active community of developers and contributors. It is backed by major technology companies and has a well-established ecosystem with a wide range of plugins and extensions. Terraform, being developed by HashiCorp, also has a strong community following and active development. It benefits from the larger HashiCorp ecosystem, which includes tools like Vault and Consul.

6. Deployment Model: OpenStack is typically deployed on dedicated hardware infrastructure and requires significant upfront resources and expertise to set up and maintain. It is commonly used in private cloud deployments. In contrast, Terraform is a lightweight tool that can be deployed on any infrastructure and managed through version control systems like Git. It supports various deployment models, including public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud environments.

In summary, OpenStack is a full-stack cloud infrastructure platform designed for creating and managing private and public clouds, while Terraform is a tool focused on infrastructure provisioning and management using a declarative configuration language. OpenStack supports multiple cloud providers and provides a wide range of services, while Terraform offers cloud agnostic provisioning and has a strong community following.